Madhulika Verma has trained in acting and directing from the Ensemble Theatre, Sydney. She has been actively involved with theatre for the last two decades, which include performances in Cairo, Patna, Jamshedpur and Mumbai. Having acted in Neil Simon's Plaza-Suite Act III, Chara Chari and Moliere's Tartuffe in Cairo, today Verma is known more for her directorial skills.

What is she directing now?

After SOS, an AIDS awareness musical, she is back with the same theme "The Big A. We, in Spotlight, have always intended to provide good, meaningful English theatre. So, once Kamala Ramchandani had the script ready, we got into the act and put the play together in just under six weeks."

And how did she get involved with Spotlight?

Originally formed in 1970 by late Adi Marzban, late Inez Dullas and Erna Vatchagandy, Spotlight staged plays like Asylum, Build Me a Cage, Yes, Mother Dear. "I worked in their productions. In 1994, Erna, Kamala Ramchandani and I got together torevive the group with SOS." Which, incidentally, was also Verma's directorially debut. Then followed Witness, a gripping courtroom drama about the dowry problem.

What is The Big A all about?

The Big A is a heartwarming and humourous outlook towards AIDS, the patients, their families and society. "Set mainly in a hospital, it explores the lives of four patients: Jai who has contracted the disease through a one-night stand, Gautam who is gay, mourning for his lover, Aditya, the victim of a blood transfusion, and Ayesha whose world consists of drugs and dreams. The play explores their psyche through their interaction with the doctor and each other, and by focussing on Jai's family which is learning to cope with his illness."

Why a musical?

"AIDS is a serious subject, but we wanted to make it as audience-friendly as possible through music and comedy. Simply because that's what draws the audience."

So The Big A has a range of music from blues to rock.It has a total of 17 songs,including Beatles, Neil Diamond, Boyzone and Dire Straits. All sung live by the cast Bikram Saluja, Asif Ali Baig of Hindi pop group Mantra, Sangeeta Handa, Ratan Batliwala, Tamreen Kadri, Chaitanya Bhosle and Delna Mody. "We chose songs highlighting the words and mood of the scene to provide a kind of relief from acting."

What about the comic element?

"Ratan Batliwala, a brilliant comic actor, and Chaitanya Bhosle have worked a lot of comedy between them to take the play to a different level."

Is directing a musical a different experience?

"This play is not in the traditional format, but in the form of 39 short scenes. It was a tremendous directorial challenge. The songs we used are not original, but they are well-known. And we had to work out the links from the scenes to the songs to the music."

And how does one make it work?

"It feels great when it works out well. Especially when you are working with a set of very talented people. This is one art which one can't do alone.There has to be a lot of fellow-feeling. I think one of the most exciting things about theatre is team-work."

At the Prithvi Theatre, Juhu. On Aug 12 and 13. Time: 9.00 pm.-- Chatura Poojari